Mediterranean Platter – Souffle Bombay

Looking for a fantastic meal to make for friends or family on the patio or by the pool on a summer evening? An amazing Mediterranean Platter featuring Grilled Kofta is just the thing to do. Thank you to Veal, Discover Delicious, funded by Beef Farmers and Ranchers for sponsoring today’s recipe.

When I want an evening with my family outdoors or when guests come over, I love things like charcuterie boards and platters vs one entrée with sides.

This Mediterranean platter is perfect for when you want to have just about all the prep done easily ahead of time and then you get down to enjoying food and fun. You have the centerpiece of Kofta as the protein as well as all the trimmings, something for everyone!

Choose to keep kofta kebob skewers intact for presentation or remove them from the skewers as I have here. Make a massive platter or keep it to just a handful of items, it works any way you dream it up!

What is Kofta?

• Also called kefta, the fundamentals of a kofta recipe are ground meat, spices and fresh herbs. Since many cultures make it, the variations of are many when it comes to the ground meat used as well as the spices and herbs used.
• The seasonings and fresh herbs used to flavor the ground meat are what makes kofta so flavorful and different.
• Some cultures add soaked bread or breadcrumbs to their kofta mixture, I personally don’t see the need for it. However, if you want to stretch your meat further go right ahead and add some.

I like using ground veal for making kofta kabobs. I feel that ground veal picks up the flavors of both the spices and herbs used in this recipe the best of all the ground meats I have tried.

How do you shape a Kofta Kabob?

• Shaping kofta is as easy as making a meatball. All you want to do is grab a portion of the meat mixture (large or small) and then compress it firmly in your hands.
• I like to first shape it into a meatball, compressing it firmly and then shape it into a football like shape.
• Its best to do this after the meat has chilled and the flavors have blended.
• You can shape them ahead of time, covering them tightly so the meat doesn’t have a chance to dry out and cook when ready.

How to cook Kofta?

• My favorite method for cooking kofta / kefta is on the grill. The addition of the kiss of smoke from the cooking process is delicious in my opinion. Plus any extra grease/fat drips off.
• You can also pan fry it (you do not have to shape it as I do, many will make a patty of it. I have watched Gordon Ramsay cook kofta that way, shaped like a patty and cooked in a pan.
• You can air fry it as well, although that is not my preferred method, same goes for oven baking.
• I am so curious about smoking kofta, I have a feeling it would be delicious, however something tells me for the best result, I would need to baste it with something. Stay tuned!

Why use ground veal for kofta?

I have made kofta with ground beef as well as ground lamb over the years, I have even made it with a meatloaf blend. I feel ground veal really picks up the flavors of the seasoning and fresh herbs best so it’s my choice for making these kofta kabobs.

Veal 101

• Veal is a nutrient-rich meat, a 3oz serving of ground veal is 170 calories and 27 grams of protein. Lean veal is a good source of key nutrients including vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, selenium and choline (Source: USDA National Nutrient Database).
• Harvested from calves typically about 6 months old, weighing 550-600 pounds.
• Veal calves, traditionally get their start on the dairy farm (dairy farmers sell male calves since they are in the business of producing milk which male cows cannot do).
• In my opinion, veal is very tender and picks up the flavors used in its preparation with ease, better than other proteins in my opinion.
• When born, calves are born with little to no immune system. For that reason, in the first 6-8 weeks of their life they are housed in individual housing. After 8 weeks, veal calves are moved to group housing. This is an industry standard. 

I have toured a dozen veal and beef farms over the last 10 years in multiple states across the US. I have spent time talking to and learning from numerous farmers and ranchers, veterinarians, suppliers, members of the USDA and the NCBA etc., feel free to ask me any questions.

Many myths exist about veal farming which cause some people to write it off as a food source. I urge you to educate yourself about modern day veal farming practices. Read more on the Veal Discover Delicious website.

Top Tips

• Once combined, allow the meat mixture to sit covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to a day. This will yield the best flavor.
• Press plastic wrap against the meat mixture tightly and then another layer of plastic or foil over the bowl to prevent any drying out of the mixture.
• Before shaping, cook off a tiny patty of the kofta, so you can taste for proper seasoning and flavor. Its better to taste and adjust vs having cooked and finding out it was under seasoned.
• Always start by cleaning and oiling your grill for best results whenever grilling.
• You can choose to shape and thread on skewers, which is what I like to do. Just oil your skewers with avocado or olive oil or cooking spray first.
• Alternatively, you can shape and place directly on the grill.
• Meat releases from the grill when its ready to turn, so if you have resistance when attempting to turn it with a spatula, wait.
• Don’t overcook the kofta, veal does cook quickly since it’s a lean protein. The USDA recommends cooking ground veal and ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, so I pull it at 155 and allow it to rest (temp will continue to rise). Just remember that if you are using a digital thermometer to check, if it hits the metal of the skewers, it may give you a false reading.
• I make garlic oil for using on the grilled tomatoes and asparagus I add to the platter. I like to add 1 TBS or so to my meat mixture since veal is a lean protein and I am grilling it. This helps keep the kofta nice and moist.
• Recipe easily halves, doubles or triples.

Mediterranean Platter Suggestions

• Add one, two or even three varieties of olives to your platter. My favorites are Kalamata olives and Castelvetrano olives, however add whichever favorites you enjoy.
• Roasted Red Peppers, artichoke quarters, tapenade etc. Those you can easily purchase in jars saving you work.
• Pine nuts are a tasty addition and add a nice crunch. Almonds and pistachios do as well.
• Easy fresh veggies like asparagus and tomatoes are great. You can grill them while you grill the kofta. The tomatoes can be halved, brushed with seasoned garlic oil (see notes in recipe card below) and placed face down on the grill for a few minutes. The asparagus can be tossed with the same oil with a little additional S&P, places in a foil packet and cooked on the grill as the kofta kabobs cook. Add lemon halves to the grill as well for presentation as well as squeezing over the food if you choose.
• I like adding quick pickled red onions, cucumber salad (made simple with just salt, pepper, a little oil and fresh lemon. You can also add Greek seasoning or toss with Greek dressing).
• Feta cheese, pita bread (make a sandwich with a whole one or just use a wedge, crackers, hummus, tzatziki sauce for the kofta and anything else you feel you’ll enjoy works!

I hope you have fun making, eating and sharing this delicious Kofta Mediterranean Platter! XO Colleen

Recipes for a crowd

Mediterranean Platter

Colleen Kennedy

All sorts of delicious eats on this Mediterranean Platter with Grilled Kofta, its a fun and delicious way to feed a crowd! Grilled Kofta Kebabs

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Entree

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Calories 241 kcal

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds ground veal
• ½ cup minced or grated onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 TBS chopped mint or more if you enjoy the flavor
• ½ TBS of garlic oil mixture

For Spice Mixture

• 1 TBS kosher salt less if regular salt, see notes
• 1 TBS paprika
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cumin if you enjoy the flavor of cumin double this
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon or more of cayenne pepper depending on your enjoyment of heat

Mediterranean Platter Suggestions

• Variety of olives roasted red peppers, pine nuts, hummus, tzatziki, feta cheese, grilled asparagus, grilled peppers, grilled tomatoes, grilled red onions, grilled shrimp, cucumber salad, pickled red onions, grilled lemon halves, tapenade, stuffed grape leaves, crackers, pita or flatbread, Tzatziki and anything else you may enjoy.

Instructions 

• First make the garlic oil by combining ¼ cup avocado or olive oil, 1 clove garlic minced, a good 3 fingered pinch of kosher salt and some black pepper (or use store-bought) and set aside allowing flavors to develop. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours. Stirring occasionally. If in a rush, mash garlic a little as you stir with the back of a spoon.

• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Cover tightly and allow flavors to develop for at least an hour and up to overnight.

• When ready to cook, pinch off a small amount, form into a tiny patty and cook it off in a pan to taste for seasoning. If on point start to form your kofta, if not adjust.

• Form into about 8 portions and shape as shown above into little footballs.

• Assemble your Mediterranean Platter, getting everything out and onto a large tray, platter or multiple wood boards. This way, once you pull the kofta it’s ready to go while the meat is warm.

• Preheat your cleaned and oiled grill on high. Place skewers on the grill and cook till done, carefully turning to 2 or 3 sides, I usually use a large grill spatula to help me move the meat.

Notes

It’s delicious to spread hummus on pita or flatbread, add kofta, pickled red onions, tzatziki and other items to eat as a handheld.
Remember kosher salt pieces are much larger than table salt, so they take up more volume. 1 TBS of kosher salt is less salt vs 1 TBS table salt, so change up what you add accordingly.
If you don’t have cardamom, no worries. You can leave it out. However, if you do want to purchase it for this recipe, my homemade Spiced Sugar will change your baking game and makes a fabulous inexpensive holiday gift people are crazy for! Cardamom is an ingredient there, so you’ll have something else to use it for. It’s also a delicious addition to pancakes, muffins etc.
Nutritional information is for the Kofta only as platter additions and quantities will vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 6servingsCalories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 30gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1290mgPotassium: 540mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 335IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Grilled Kofta Kebabs, Mediterranean Platter

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Colleen Kennedy is the author of 3 cookbooks and has appeared on QVC and other shows inspiring home cooks of all levels. She has a popular TikTok channel @ColleensCooking with hundreds of short recipe videos. Colleen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and kids, she started the food blog, Soufflé Bombay in 2009. Read more about her here.